General purpose stake



United States Patent 72] lnventor Derek W. A. Peters 10 Cressy Parkway,Bel Air, Maryland 21014 [211 App]. No. 814,005

[22] Filed April 7, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 20, 1970 [54] GENERALPURPOSE STAKE 2,156,021 4/1939 Little 135/15 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,46110/1909 Great Britain 135/15 1,315,552 12/1962 France 135/15 PrimaryExaminerPeter M. Caun Attorneys-Harry M. Saragovitz, Edward J. Kelly,Herbert Berl and Robert P. Gibson ABSTRACT: A general purpose stake foranchoring lightweight tents, or the like, in sandy or muddy soil andconsists of a combination of a main stake, which is similar to aconventional tent peg, and which is provided with a ring fixed to itsupper portion, and a pair of pins which are inserted through the ring.The main stake and pins are driven into the soil at selected angleswhereby a tripod arrangement is formed.

GENERAL PURPOSE STAKE Conventional tent pegs have been found to affordlittle or no anchorage of tents when the soil is sandy or muddy sincethe pegs would not hold and worked loose to cause collapse of the tent.

One example of the problem is found in a lightweight tent that is usedby the troops in Viet Nam for emergency medical purposes. Since much ofthe terrain there is swampy, it was hard to keep this tent erected. Dueto the high degree of mobility of the troops, this tent had to be set upand taken down frequently. The use of longer pegs was not feasible sincethey took longer to drive into the soil and were harder to remove. Alsolonger pegs were more difficult to transport due to their longer lengthand weight.

The present invention is designed to overcome the aforesaid difficultiesby the arrangement of the main peg and pins which form a tripod.

it is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a generalpurpose stake for anchoring tents in sandy or muddy soil.

it is another object to provide a tripod arrangement of a main stakehaving a ring fixed in its upper portion and a pair of pins which areinserted through the ring and the peg and pins driven into the soil toproduce a tripod arrangement.

It is still another object wherein the driving angle of the main peg andpins may be varied to accommodate varying type of soils.

in the drawing:

H0. 1 is a perspective view showing the general purpose stake of thisinvention as driven into the soil;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main peg;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the bracing pins;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ring member;

HO. 5 is a front view of the upper portion of one of the bracing pins;and

FIG. 05 is a side view of the main peg, the upper portion being brokenaway to show the mounting of the ring member.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein reference character 1indicates the main stake of this invention and consists of a length ofangle iron which tapers towards its lower end as at 2 and terminates ina point 3. A hole 4 is located at the apex of its angular cross sectionand disposed in its upper portion as shown, as best seen in H6. 2.

A pin retainer, indicated generally by 5 is provided and consists of arod which includes a ring member 6 at one of its ends and a downwardlyextending angular extension 7 at its other end. The angular extension isinserted through hole 4 and is welded as at 8 whereby ring a is somewhatupwardly inclined with respect to the main stake l, as seen in FIG. 6.

ln Fit}. 3, there is illustrated one of the bracing pins and isdesignated generally by 9 and consists of a length of rod defining aring ll at its upper portion and a point l3 at its lower end. The end ofring ll may be welded to rod 10 as shown. A top 14 is welded to theuppermost part of ring it as at 15. Top 14 is formed ofa length of angleiron.

ln assembly, as seen in FIG. l, main stake l is driven into the soil R6at a selected angle. Now, two bracing pins 9 are inserted through ring 6and are driven into the soil at opposite angles relative to one anotherand to the main stake 1 so that a tripod arrangement is formed. A guyrope, not shown, ofa tent may then be looped over angular extension 7.Main stake ll will be of sufficiently sturdy material to be driven intothe soil, while top 14 will serve as a surface for driving the pins 9.

No less than two bracing pins will be used, but more pins could be usedif desired. The angle at which main stake l and pins Q are to assumewill depend upon the type of soil in which they are driven.

Where a tool for driving the stake and pins is not available, a rock orthe like may be used.

lit is to be understood that this application is not to be limited tothe exact details of construction shown or described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

l claim:

l. in a general purpose stake for anchoring a tent in sandy or muddysoil, the combination comprising, a main stake having an opening in itsupper portion, and being adapted to be driven into the soil at aselected angle, a retaining member fixed in said opening, and at leasttwo bracing pins adapted to be inserted through said retaining memberand driven into the soil at opposite angles with respect to each otherand to said main stake whereby a tripod arrangement is effected.

2.. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said main stake comprises alength of angle iron defining a tapered lower portion and a point at thelower end of said tapered portion. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1wherein said retaining member comprises a continuous length of roddefining a ring at one of its ends and an angular, downwardly dependingportion at its other end.

5. A. device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said bracing pinscomprises a continuous length of rod defining a ring at its upper endand a point at its lower end and a length of angle iron secured in ahorizontal position on the uppermost portion of said ring whereby asurface for driving said pin into the soil is provided.

